External Advisory Committee
The College of Public Health and Health Sciences' External Advisory Committee is composed of leading public health professionals and representatives from institutions that are employers, potential employers and practicum preceptors of our students. It is also composed of alumni, research collaborators and representatives of healthcare and health-promoting organizations.
The committee aims to provide meaningful and extensive discussion with public health employers and community leaders from the non-profit, public and private sectors on the critical skills necessary for today's public health and health sciences professionals, and on how the college can better integrate these skills into its academic programs and training opportunities. The committee assists the college in forecasting future academic needs and gauging professional readiness, thus providing the public health field with a valuable workforce of competitive and skilled graduates. The responsibilities of the External Advisory Committee are to:
- Advise the dean and the College on any matters related to strategic decisions.
- Assist the College in connecting with external constituencies to advance the mission of the College.
- Identify opportunities for research collaborations and financial sustainability.
- Advise the College in understanding how the needs of employers can be met by the talent, skills and knowledge of the Kent State University College of Public Health and Health Sciences graduates.
Committee Members
John R. Aller
John Aller is the chief executive director of Stark County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery (StarkMHAR).
Brian Adams, MBA, MOT, OTR/L
Brian Adams is the chief operating officer of University Hospitals Portage Medical Center.
Tarun Bhalla, MD, MBA, FASA, FAAP
Dr. Tarun Bhalla serves as the chief clinical officer at Akron Children's Hospitals.
Aimee Budnik, Ph.D., RD/N, LD
Aimee Budnik is the chief operating officer of Better Health Partnership.
Alec Boros, Ph.D.
Alec Boros is the research manager at Oriana House, Inc. He directs all the research and evaluation efforts of the agency.
Nicholas Cascarelli, Ed.D.
Nicholas Cascarelli serves as Health Commissioner at the Wayne County Health Department.
Darcy Folzenlogen, MD, MPH
Dr. Darcy Folzenlogen is a retired emeritus professor of child health, internal medicine and pathology at University of Missouri School of Medicine.
William Franks, MPH
William Franks works in the Kent State College of Public Health and Health Sciences Office of Public Health Practice and Partnership to develop job experiences and recruitment placements for students and graduates.
Robert Hakes, MPH
Robert Hakes serves as the director of Legislative and Regulatory Affairs at The MetroHealth System.
Suzanne Hobson
Suzanne “Sue” Hobson directs Community Relations for Cleveland Clinic Akron General.
Becky Lehman, MPH
Becky Lehman is the Health Commissioner of Portage County Combined General Health District.
Andy Bull, MPH, MBA, REHS
Andy Bull is the Health Commissioner of the Kent City Health Department.
Frank Migliozzi, RS, MPH
Frank Migliozzi is the health commissioner for the Trumbull County Combined Health District.
Billy Oglesby, PhD, MBA, MSPH, FACHE
Humana Dean of the College of Population Health and Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives at Thomas Jefferson University.
Steve Paciorek, PhD, MPH
Steven Paciorek serves as Director of Human Services in the City of Brecksville.
Rose Penix, MPH
Rose Penix serves as Quality, Culture, and Inclusion Coordinator II at Summa Health.
Nicole Russ, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, CEBS, GBA, RPA
Nicole Russ is the vice president of Human Resources at the Aultman Healthcare Delivery System/Aultman Health Foundation.
Matt Stefanak, MPH
Matthew Stefanak is an instructor and public health ambassador for the College of Public Health at Kent State University and the public health preparedness liaison for the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners.
Krista Wasowski, MSW, MPH
Krista Wasowski is the Health Commissioner for the Medina County Health Department.
